Penance
Robbie Baldwin was an angst-ridden Springdale Connecticut high school student who grew up under the often smothering guidance of his parents. His father wanted him to go in law while his free-spirited mother hoped he would go into arts. After school, he interned at Hammond Labs. Robbie snuck in to watch an experiment that tapped an extra-dimensional energy source, and was accidentally irradiated by it when the energy went out of control. The energy gave him superpowers: Whenever Robbie was hit with an impact above a certain strength, he'd become surrounded by a protective kinetic energy field that manifested in the form of a more muscular body, a spandex costume, and floating 'bubbles' in the air around him. When he was in 'Speedball mode,' any impact against him caused him to bounce instead of harming him. He could also harness this energy and direct it more forcefully, or alternately use it as a bubble/shield to protect others, catch others, and even stop moving objects, like bullets, in mid-air. The New Warriors attempted to apprehend a group of supervillains in Stamford, Connecticut for their television reality show. Nitro, one of the criminals, created an explosive blast that killed 612 civilians, including 60 children, as well as the New Warriors with the exception of Baldwin. This event triggered the push for superhero registration at the heart of the superhuman Civil War. Baldwin was presumed dead after the incident, but he was found alive after the blast launched him over 500 miles. Baldwin's kinetic field kept him alive, but it "burned out" as a result. After awakening from a coma, Baldwin was arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D. and placed in federal prison. After he discovered his powers were still functional, Baldwin was taken to the new penitentiary called Negative Zone Prison Alpha. Reed Richards, the facility's creator, offered Baldwin the chance to testify before the U.S. Congress. On the Capitol steps, Baldwin was shot by an assailant and taken away in an ambulance. Baldwin recovered from the wound, and Richards determined that Baldwin's powers were evolving. Baldwin thwarted an escape from the prison and said that he would comply with the Superhuman Registration Act. Baldwin ordered a new suit of armor that featured 612 internal spikes that caused him constant pain, symbolic of the 612 deaths he felt responsible for. Sixty of these spikes actually broke his skin, these sixty spikes are symbolic of the sixty children that died in Nitro's explosion. He joined the newest incarnation of the Thunderbolts. While hunting down unregistered superhumans during Civil War, Penance was sent to capture his friend and former New Warriors teammate, Nova, who was visiting earth after the Annihilation War. Though Penance's actions were what ultimately caught Nova off guard, Nova still managed to resist capture until Iron Man intervened and forced the Thunderbolts to leave. Later that night Penance appeared before Nova, revealing his true identity to Richard. Richard, who had grown disenchanted with both sides of the Civil War, was absolutely horrified to discover what happened to Robert and decided to leave Earth until the madness was over. Category:Antagonists Category:Neutral